Can't Let Go

twenty six

The doctors gave helpless looks as Sara struggled in the labour pain. There was no one in the Abbasi house that day, all of them have gone to Fahad's wife, Jannat's home for a special dinner, leaving behind Sara and Inaya. Sara didn't want to go as she was tired and was throwing up a lot lately, but Inaya stayed behind intentionally as she and Zayn got into a serious argument. And for once she was so glad that she got into the fight with him.

"You've got this, Sara. Zayn is on the way." Inaya kept away all her jealously and bitterness aside as she held Sara's hands giving her the moral support, which she needed the most at this time. It wasn't a hidden fact, but none of the Abbasi family members was happy with her pregnancy, but they supported her only because she carried the Abbasi surname and they didn't want to spoil their reputation at any cost.

Even today, they didn't care if she was sick or not. All they could see was Jannat's family invite and they couldn't just decline it like that. It made Sara anguish and the pain in her lower abdomen increased her sufferings. Tearing up painfully she held onto Inaya's hands tightly, thankful to have at least her.

"I d-don't th-ink I can make t-this." Sara stuttered in pain as she tried hard to push the baby out. Inaya shook her head in negative. She knew Sara is way too young and weak to give birth to a baby, the doctors have already informed them beforehand that only one of them can survive but Inaya didn't want anything bad to happen to either of them, not even Sara; who's the other woman in her life. She didn't care honestly.

"If anything happens to me, p-please take care of my b-baby." Sara cried in pain as the pain increased severely, Inaya gave her a blank look. No, she didn't want her to die, "stop talking nonsense, Sara. You're not going anywhere."

"P-promise me, please." Sara pleaded in pain, Inaya's eyes teared up emotionally as she shook her head, "I promise you, I will take care of your baby. But, please don't lose hope. Nothing is going to happen to you."

Her eyes were moist with happy tears but her face paled suddenly, "t-thank you... AAAH." the baby finally made its way out to the world making Sara slowly slip into unconsciousness. Inaya didn't know whether to be happy or sad. She was flipped at the sight in front of her.

The nurse made Inaya stay outside, more like begged her to get out as they checked on Sara. A frantic Inaya waited outside the labour ward anxiously, mumbling prayers for Sara to be okay. Just then Zayn came there running and a ray of hope passed through her she saw him and the next thing she knows, she was hugging Zayn tightly and was crying her eyes out.

"Zayn... Sara... b-baby..." a clueless Zayn rubbed on her back, trying to calm her down. He felt this sudden protectiveness towards her. She looked like a mess but stopped her cries as soon as the doctor came out, holding a tiny little baby in his hands.

"We are sorry, Mr Abbasi. She couldn't make it. Her body was too weak and she was too young to be a mom. We have told this already." the helpless doctor passed the baby to a numb looking Zayn, who took the baby in his hands in shock as he mumbled inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un under his breath.

Inaya broke down at this news. The sight of Sara closing her eyes in front of her was still fresh in her memory.

***

Arsalaan hated seeing tears in Malaika's eyes. It bothered him so much and made him feel so helpless and sad all at the same time, "Malaika..." he whispered her name as she cried in his arms. Everyone in the room was crying, crying for their daughter, who lost her life so soon. Death is really inevitable, and no one has any clue when it'd knock at your door but Sara's death has surely taken everyone by shock.

"Take her away. She took my daughter's life, take her out of my sight." Zara Abbasi yelled in anger, as Inaya came down with Sara's crying little baby. She was so clueless as to what to do with her, while everyone was busy crying for Sara, she could see no one has accepted this little baby of hers. Who happens to be an illegitimate child and that was enough reason for them to not accept the little fairy whole heartily.